Radial Lacing on SWB Ft WHeel?

[Tom Thompson]

Is anyone using a radially laced front wheel on their SWB? I have a nice extra front for my TE that
I'd like to use on the new SWB when it gets here. ON the TE, the weheel takes around 35% of my
weight, and on the SWB, it'll take 45-50%. I'm about 150#.

The wheel in question is a Velocity aero rimnon an XT 32 hole hub.

Thanks,

Tom Thompson

 

[Tom Blum]

I have one on my Speed Machine Clone. No problems as yet.

Mark, at PowerOnCycling told me it was from a P38.

It has Shimano Deore XT QR hub , an 11mm aero rim and I am running a Stelvio 1 1/8 tire. And 22
radial spokes.

--
Miles of Smiles,

Tom Blum Winter Haven, Florida Homebuilts: SWB Tour Easy Clone Speed Machine Clone

www.gate.net/~teblum

 

[Lennert Thunber]

"Tom Thompson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Is anyone using a radially laced front wheel on their SWB? I have a nice extra front for my TE
> that I'd like to use on the new SWB when it gets
here.
> ON the TE, the weheel takes around 35% of my weight, and on the SWB, it'll take 45-50%. I'm
> about 150#.

If the wheel is well built, it should be fine. A poorly built radial wheel that holds up OK on the
front of an LWB may not fare so well with the increased loading on the front of an SWB. Radial
lacing is a poor choice if you want good durability in a wheel, but the aesthetics certainly appeal
to a lot of people. 1-cross lacing is almost as light, doesn't void the warranty of any hub I've
heard of, and is much more trouble-free.

Len Thunberg

 

[Eddie H]

I've had the same Velocity Aeroheat rim with Deore XT 32 hole hub on my SWB for over 4000 miles now.
I'm 172 pounds. The rim is very stable and strong, perhaps a bit stiff on bumps. A Pantour hub would
be nice to smooth the ride out, but generally I like the radial lacing.

Eddie

 

[Don]

I had a 305 36-spoke radial lace Wienman on an Ultegra hub on my custom Leprechaun. I am not sure
what your question was so I will give two answers. One, I had zero problems with durability. Two, it
rode so harsh I don't miss it at all. I went to a three-cross 32 spoke 349. Of course I changed
tires too so that accounted for some of the difference. I went from a Maxxis Hookworm (1.95 and 110
psi) to a Schwalbe City Marathon or Marathon or whatever it is called (1 3/8 and 100psi).

You will be sitting fairly directly over the wheel----choose wisely.

"Tom Blum" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> I have one on my Speed Machine Clone. No problems as yet.
>
> Mark, at PowerOnCycling told me it was from a P38.
>
> It has Shimano Deore XT QR hub , an 11mm aero rim and I am running a Stelvio 1 1/8 tire. And 22
> radial spokes.
>
>
> --
> Miles of Smiles,
>
> Tom Blum Winter Haven, Florida Homebuilts: SWB Tour Easy Clone Speed Machine Clone
>
> www.gate.net/~teblum

 

[Jeff Wills]

"Tom Thompson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>... <snip>
>
> The wheel in question is a Velocity aero rim on an XT 32 hole hub.
>

IMO, that's an extraordinarily overbuilt wheel for a 150 pound person. You could probably leave out
half the spokes and still have adequate strength.

As long as the spokes are tensioned properly, it won't make a difference if the wheel's radial or
tangential laced.

Jeff

 

[Ian Smith]

On 5 Jul 2003 22:06:43 -0700, Jeff Wills <[email protected]> wrote:

> As long as the spokes are tensioned properly, it won't make a difference if the wheel's radial or
> tangential laced.

If it's hub braked, it will probably affect durability.

It may well upset the hub - most hubs are made for tangential and are significantly more likley to
let go of a radial spoke. It'll probably be OK, but the factor of safety is reduced.

regards, Ian SMith
--
|\ /| no .sig
|o o|
|/ \|

 

[Edd Brady]

I'm using radial spoked 20 inch (ISO 406) front wheels on both my Baron and P38. Spoke counts are
14, 16 and 18 in paired patterns (using 28, 32 and 36 hole rims and hubs). Rims are Velocity Razor,
Aeroheat AT (with HED skirt) clincher type and Nisi sew-up type. Hubs are American Classic Micro
(first 2) and Shimano Ultegra. I weigh 160 lbs.

Radial front wheels are easy to build and to obtain accurate tension readings (no crosses to
get in the way). Total distance on the three wheels is approx. 13,000 miles (mostly commuting).

The roads in Phoenix (AZ) are typically wide and well paved and don't get damaged from freezing
water (read "no chronic pot-holes"). YMMV

Edd

Ian Smith <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> On 5 Jul 2003 22:06:43 -0700, Jeff Wills <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > As long as the spokes are tensioned properly, it won't make a difference if the wheel's radial
> > or tangential laced.
>
> If it's hub braked, it will probably affect durability.
>
> It may well upset the hub - most hubs are made for tangential and are significantly more likley to
> let go of a radial spoke. It'll probably be OK, but the factor of safety is reduced.
>
> regards, Ian SMith

 

[Tom Thompson]

"Thanks to all for the suggestions. I'll try the wheel on the SWB as-is. Should be plenty strong.
Maybe later I'll relace it with 16 paired spokes just for grins.

Tom Thompson

 

[Jeff Wills]

Ian Smith <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> On 5 Jul 2003 22:06:43 -0700, Jeff Wills <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > As long as the spokes are tensioned properly, it won't make a difference if the wheel's radial
> > or tangential laced.
>
> If it's hub braked, it will probably affect durability.
>
> It may well upset the hub - most hubs are made for tangential and are significantly more likley to
> let go of a radial spoke. It'll probably be OK, but the factor of safety is reduced.
>
> regards, Ian SMith

Hmmm... granted on both your points, but the OP specified that he already had the wheel and that it
was from his Tour Easy- which means it's highly unlikely that it has a hub brake.

As to the flange "letting go"- I once had a radial-laced hub's flange explode while I was truing the
wheel. This was with a 36-spoke small-flange OMAS hub- pretty cheesy at best. A better-quality
32-spoke hub will *probably* hang together.

Jeff

 

[Dave Larrington]

Tom Thompson wrote:
> Is anyone using a radially laced front wheel on their SWB?

Ran one for a long time on a Kingcycle. The original spokes were ****, but once replaced with some
decent ones, no problems. Mrs Larrington had a hub fail - a chunk of one of the flanges tore out -
and replacing it with an XT hub - with bigger diameter flanges - meant that the only way to make it
work with the old spokes was to build it 1x.

Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/
===========================================================

 

[Rotofool]

[email protected] (Edd Brady) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> I'm using radial spoked 20 inch (ISO 406) front wheels on both my Baron and P38. Spoke counts are
> 14, 16 and 18 in paired patterns (using 28, 32 and 36 hole rims and hubs). Rims are Velocity
> Razor, Aeroheat AT (with HED skirt) clincher type and Nisi sew-up type. Hubs are American Classic
> Micro (first 2) and Shimano Ultegra. I weigh 160 lbs.
>
> Radial front wheels are easy to build and to obtain accurate tension readings (no crosses to
> get in the way). >

Edd,

14 spokes on a Razor rim sounds scary, even at your light weight. Do you remember what kind of
tension you used for those spokes? Were the spokes butted or straight gauge?

You're right about the ease of getting tension readings with radial lacing. With any other kind of
lacing on a 20" wheel, accurate tensiometer readings are impossible.

Len Thunberg

 

[Edd Brady]

[email protected] (rotofool) wrote in message >
> Edd, ...... 14 spokes on a Razor rim sounds scary, even at your light weight. Do you remember what
> kind of tension you used for those spokes? Were the spokes butted or straight gauge? ...... Len
> Thunberg

Hi Len, I'm using straight 15 gauge spokes at 55kg pull on the Razor/American Classic. Even with 14
"paired" spokes, the unsupported arc seems quite reasonable with 406 rims. When I first looked at
the 32 bladed spokes on the Aeroheat, it looked like a disc wheel with louvers. I thought, either I
need to remove half the spokes or I'll have to grow long, greasy sideburns ;-)

Edd

 

[Edd Brady]

[email protected] (rotofool) wrote in message
>
> 14 spokes on a Razor rim sounds scary, even at your light weight. Do you remember what kind of
> tension you used for those spokes? Were the spokes butted or straight gauge?
>
> Len Thunberg

There is an error in my prior reply, The spoke tension is around 35kg not 55kg, as previously
reported (I used 14 gauge spokes, but read the value for 15 gauge). That 35kg doesn't sound very
tight, but it works for stiff rims like the Razor and Aeroheat.

I don't build with a particular value of tension in mind. I go by feel and use the tensiometer
strctly to reduce the spoke to spoke deflection variation.

Weak, flexible rims like the Nisi are another story. Sometimes the same tension that is tight
enough to crack the rim in one location is also loose enough to allow some nipples to back off
in other locations while riding. I suppose that lock-tite would help, but what's life without
challenges (like finding your own personal low spoke count limit or riding sew-ups in a
clincher world)?

Ride hard, after all, we don't have far to fall,

Edd

 

[Lennert Thunber]

"Edd Brady" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> [email protected] (rotofool) wrote in message
> >
> > 14 spokes on a Razor rim sounds scary, even at your light weight. Do you remember what kind of
> > tension you used for those spokes? Were the spokes butted or straight gauge?
> >
> > Len Thunberg
>
> There is an error in my prior reply, The spoke tension is around 35kg not 55kg, as previously
> reported (I used 14 gauge spokes, but read the value for 15 gauge). That 35kg doesn't sound very
> tight, but it works for stiff rims like the Razor and Aeroheat.

Now it's really beginning to sound scary. Hope you wear a helmut. When did a Razor become a stiff
rim? That's about as light as you can get in a 20" clincher wheel.

Len Thunberg

 

[Edd Brady]

"Lennert Thunberg" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> .......... When did a Razor become a stiff rim? .......

After working with 20 inch Nisi sew-up rims ;-)

Edd